1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a tool for inserting a threaded object into a corresponding threaded receiving hole. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a tool for inserting a threaded balancing weight into a rotating machine, such as a rotating disc of a gas turbine engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present disclosure relates to a tool for inserting a threaded object into a corresponding threaded receiving hole. Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a tool for inserting a threaded balancing weight into a rotating machine, such as a rotating disc of a gas turbine engine.
The rotor discs of compressors and turbines of gas turbine engines rotate at very high speed in use. It is important for the rotating components, including the discs, to be properly balanced, because any imbalance may result in unwanted movement of the rotating components, for example due to bending of a shaft about which the rotating components rotate. This may result in unwanted contact between rotating and stationary parts and/or an increase in the required tolerance gap between rotating and stationary parts, such as between rotating blades and surrounding cases. In turn, this may result in efficiency losses and/or vibrations, which may lead to damage, for example to bearings.
Accordingly, rotating discs of gas turbine engines need to be precisely balanced during manufacture and assembly. The discs may be balanced firstly during manufacture of the discs themselves, for example by removing material in a conventional manner. The discs may then be precision balanced again after assembly with other rotating components, such as blades that are attached to the disc. It may also be necessary to re-balance rotating components, such as discs, during service of the engine.
Once the engine has been fully assembled, with cases surrounding the various rotating components, access to the rotating components (such as discs) is extremely limited, and so precision balancing is difficult. It would be desirable to be able to insert a balancing screw into a rotor disc after assembly of the engine. However, accurately and reliably positioning such a balancing screw into a rotor disc, through the inner and outer cases for example, is difficult. For example, if a balancing screw were to be simply dropped through a tube that passes through the inner and outer casings for insertion or removal, then its fall through the tube may be uncontrolled, and it may be lost into the engine and/or its position may not be reliable.